Change in the road
by aholmdahl
Summary: Ryan stopped when Volchok was chasing them on the road. Seth and Summer have classic times and both Ryan and Marissa learn a lot along their paths to adulthood. My first O.C. fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is my first O.C. fanfic. I am a Ryan and Marissa fan, so bear with me. I decided to start with changing the end of the last episode of season 3. Well, lets see how this turns out.**

"Ryan stop it!" Marissa yelled with panic in her voice.

"Volchok just slow down!" Heather demanded.

All of a sudden Ryan started slowing down and Vochuck cut him off so he couldn't keep going straight.

Ryan jumped out of the car and walked over to Volchuck.

"What do you want? You could have killed us you know."

Volchok jumped out of the front seat of his van and started drunkenly yelling. "Yeah right. You still owe me a fight. This time I'm going to kill you. No faking it."

Marissa looked at them. _What did he mean this time_. She thought. _He is just drunk right, he won't actually do anything._ She reassured herself.

Ashley looked over at Marissa. "Volchok lets go. You don't need to do this." She tried to convince him.

"Oh yes I do." And with that Volchok lunged at Ryan and started beating him. With no other choice Ryan started to fight back. Both guys got good solid punches at each other and when Volchok took a few step backs from a really solid kick at Ryans side Marissa ran forward and tried to get Ryan to come back to the car and drive away. All of a sudden Volchok came forward and threw a hard hook shot to Ryan's head. He started bleeding and then walked back towards Volchok. All of a sudden Volchok pulled a knife.

An earie silence covered them as the girls gasped in unison.

"You're not getting out of this one so easily, Lil' Bitch." Volchok muttered. "You're not going to have that good life, looking down on guys like me like we are scum. You aren't going to steal my girl like you've always wanted to. You aren't going to go off and be a stuck up college kid. No, I'm not going to let you. I am going to end your pretty little life right now. Then we won't have any more problems, huh?"

Ryan looked scared, shock covering his face, and realization that Volchok was serious. He wasn't going to let Ryan go alive. Heather ran forward and muttered to Volchok, "You don't want to do this, just get in the car and drive away. Come on, this is a bad idea. You aren't a murderer, your just drunk."

"You know what, pretty little thing, I think I'm ready to be a murderer, if that is what killing this piece of shit makes me." He responded gruffly.

All of a sudden he ran forward and Ryan tried to protect himself, but the sharp blade went right to his side. Marissa screamed, "NO!" Blood came soaking out of his side and Volchuck stood up and walked back to his van.

"Coming Heather?" he asked.

"No way you're crazy!" Heather screamed, terrified.

"Call 911 NOW" Marissa yelled over and over again.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the evening was a blur. The images kept flitting through Marissa's head. All the blood, Ryan's face, covered in more pain than a person could fathom, the ambulance finally coming, the look on the paramedic's faces- of panic and horror. And the sounds, of Heater's panicked voice on the phone with 911, Ryan's choked breathing, the sirens, the muffled voices, Heather talking to the Cohens on the phone. The only comforting thing she had heard was the first, After she had yelled for Heather and she was on the phone, Marissa had held her arms around Ryan, trying to keep him from bleeding even more. He had looked up at her, his face pale and bruised and his eyes dark, but what he said was what mattered. "I love you Marissa, and I always have," he breathed gruffly, "and I always will."

She had cried and said, "Just stop talking okay? You're going to be okay, we will be okay. And I love you, more than anyone, okay?"

He breathed heavily and responded, almost too quietly to hear, "okay."

All night they waited. People had told her numerous times to go home and change, but she just sat there. Sandy, Kirsten and Seth had come instantly and soon after Summer arrived. She brought clothes and had to drag Marissa into the bathroom and peel her shirt off of her, It was soaked in blood and so were her pants. All night they sat waiting, Julie brought some food, but nobody ate. Every once in a while a doctor would come out and say something like, "It looks like the blade punctured…" or "He lost a lot of blood, but he should make it," All the words were meaningless to them though.

Marissa was overwhelmed with guilt. _Everything with Volchok was my fault. Why did I date him? Super possessive is obviously something I'm drawn to, but that only worked when it was Ryan._ She thought, and that was all she could do, think and worry.

Finally at 5 am a doctor came out and said that the surgery was over and he would be okay. Everyone gave a huge sigh of relief and cried. They hugged each other. Soon after that a doctor said that they could go in and see him, but only 4, so Sandy, Kirsten, Seth and Marissa went.

When she first saw him her heart skipped a beat. He was really alive, he was going to be okay and he loved her. She flew to his side and held his hand. He was bruised all over, his face, arms, torso, and that was all that she could see, who knew where else.

Seth walked over slowly, "Dude, you're not looking so good. You just had to get in a fight with a guy who wanted you dead huh? Well, maybe we'll get some more Seth-Ryan time in now that you're going to be bed ridden a lot this summer."

Kirsten cried silently into Sandy's shoulder and looked at her two boys.

A nurse came in and told them that he wouldn't be waking up for another 7 or 8 hours. Kirsten walked over to Marissa and held her hand. "He knows you're here sweet heart, but now you need to go home and sleep and wash up, we all need to."

"Okay" was all she could mutter. As they walked out of the room Seth said "See you later man."

Around 10 o'clock Seth returned to see that Julie and Summer had both brought large bouquets of flowers to Ryan's room. "I brought some comic books for you" Seth muttered. Then he sat in the chair next to Ryan and started reading.

At 11:30 Marissa walked in to a zonked out Seth next to an equally deeply sleeping Ryan. She sat at the end of Ryan's bed and started talking. She told him about everything, what she was scared of and how proud she was of him. For a whole hour she just talked quietly and watched him breathe . His face was black and blue, one eye was swollen and his lip was puffed up and bloody.

Marissa grabbed a wash cloth and got it wet in the sink outside and started wiping the blood from his forehead, nose and lip. Meanwhile she told him, "You know, when Volchok drove away I wanted to go Ryan Atwood on him and beat the hell out of him," she chuckled humorlessly, "But then I saw you, on the ground and I just couldn't stand it. That helpless feeling I had, that nothing I did would help, that you were going to die right there. You mean everything to me, you know that right? I don't know what I've been thinking, Volchok, really? I hope you'll forgive me for dating him, for almost killing you. I love you, and I'll keep telling you that every day until forever." She finished cleaning of his face and turned around. Then she heard something.

"Marissa," Ryan mumbled almost inaudibly, his lips barely moving at all.

Marissa spun around and grabbed his hand kneeling next to him she squeezed his hand as he woke up.

"I love you." He said softly.

"Ryan, I love you too." She said, tears coming to her eyes. She threw a comic book at Seth, "Earth to Seth, Ryan's waking up!"

"Huh, what?" Seth said, confused. "oh, hey buddy. How you feeling?

At that moment Ryan's eyes flitted open. For a second a look of care and love covered his face as he looked at Marissa then it contorted to a look of pure pain.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Marissa worried.

"Ugh. My stomach, arms, chest, legs, eye, face hurts." He said between deep coarse breaths.

"It'll be okay" Marissa said, worried. "I'll go get a nurse, okay? Here, talk to Seth, keep your mind off it." And she hurried out of the room.

"Well, there is nothing like almost dying to get your girlfriend back." Seth commented. Ryan gave a feeble laugh.

"So, how are you?" Ryan asked quietly, knowing that Seth would always have something to say about himself.

"Oh, well you know. Slept for a couple hours this morning. Everyone was really worried about you. Dad picked up your car from the side of the road this morning. It has a few scratches, but nothing that can't be painted and polished. Marissa was scary looking last night dude, hardly got the story out and was covered in your blood. Summer said her shirt was like plastered to her. Can't be easy for her to watch you almost be murdered again. Heather, that chick that's friends with Volchok was here. She was totally freaked by him. The cops haven't found him yet, but Heather thinks he went down to Mexico. I don't know what he'll be charged with, attempted murder, DUI, what else? What do you get for that anyway? I'll ask dad." Seth was rambling, but it was good, keeping Ryan's mind off the pain in his side, his face and every bruised and beaten part of his body.

Marissa walked in then with a nurse. "He said that the best thing would be to put you under for a couple more hours." Marissa said softly to Ryan. "Are you okay with that?"

"Ya, sure. But just a second okay?" He looked at the nurse, who nodded. Then he tried to sit up a little, even though the pain was excruciating.

"Stop, stop." Marissa rushed over to him.

"Just," Ryan started.

"What?" Marissa looked confused.

"Kiss me?" Ryan whispered.

She chuckled and leaned over and kissed him. "I love you, you know that?" she said when she pulled away.

"I had the feeling." He whispered back.

"Goodnight then." She smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Ryan said, reaching out to hold her hand.

The nurse then gave him the drugs and he went back to sleep. Marissa and Seth walked back out of the room and down the hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Back at the Cohen house Kirsten and Sandy were having lunch. "He'll be okay" Sandy reassured her, when he noticed his wife was worrying.

"Ya, I know. I'm actually more worried about Marissa. I know she isn't going on the boat trip, and probably will go to Berkley, but is she going to be okay? What if this is one traumatic experience too many?"

That caught Sandy by surprise, but as always, he had an answer. "She is a strong girl, and all you can do is be there for her, have an open heart and mind and just be her friend, she will need it from an adult that isn't her mom."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?" Sandy joked.

Then Seth walked in the front door and into the kitchen. "Hey. Ryan woke up for a couple minutes! He was in a lot of pain so he'll be under until tomorrow, but looks like he'll be fine! Oh, and him and Marissa are so back together now."

"Oh good," Kirsten said, pulling herself back together "how wonderful!"

"Um well, I'm going to call Summer now." Seth said awkwardly to his parents and walked up the stairs to his room.

"They are getting along well, huh?" Sandy commented.

"Yes, think she's the One for him?" Kirsten pondered.

"Whoa, weird to think about, our little boy all grown up with the girl he'll be with for the rest of his life."

"I think she's it though. The way they are around each other, its right."

"Well, us Cohen men are pretty good at finding the right women, if I do say so myself."

"I can't disagree" Kirsten said, leaning into a kiss.

The doorbell rang.

"They say the key to comedy is timing." Sandy said, exasperated.

"I'll get the door" Kirsten responded. "Oh, hey Summer!"

"Hi Kirsten. So I was planning on taking Cohen out for the afternoon and evening, to get his mind off everything, you know." Summer said quickly.

"Ryan's going to be okay you know sweetie." Kirsten reassured her.

"Ya, ya I know." Summer said, unconvincingly.

"Seth is upstairs in his room." Kirsten said and returned to the kitchen.

Summer walked into Seth's room to find him lying on his bed staring at the ceiling with Captain Oats on his chest.

"Okay Cohen. We're going out. No more sulking, no more staring at the ceiling, and Captain Oats, you need to let me deal with this one for now. What you are doing in here won'tl help anything." Summer announced.

"I feel like I should do a Ryan Atwood and find Volchok and beat the pulp out of him." Seth said.

"Well, we all know how that would end, with you dead." Summer stated bluntly. "And we all feel that way, so just wait for the cops to find him, be glad Ryan is alive, and come on a date with me." Summer stated. As always she was in charge and the reasonable one in the relationship.

"What would I do without you?" Seth asked as he got up.

"Probably get yourself killed, my little Cohen." Summer crooned.

"Okay, let's go then." Seth said and kissed her.

That afternoon they went and saw a chick flick, with a couple good action sequences. Then they went to the diner and had dinner. Summer had successfully distracted him. After eating they took a walk along the beach, all of a sudden Summer noticed Marissa at the lifeguard stand. She was sitting in the shadows, so Summer couldn't see what she was doing. She ran up the stairs and realized that Marissa was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees and a flask in her hands and she was crying. Summer rushed over to Marissa, grabbed the flask away from her, realizing it was half empty, and sat down. "So talk missy," Summer demanded.

Marissa gave a little smile, but no light came to her eyes. "I don't know, maybe I'm just worried, that he won't get better, or if he does he'll realize it's all my fault and leave me. Maybe I feel bad for him because I drove away his brother so now when he is almost dead in the hospital none of his family is there for him. Maybe I am worried about next year, what if he finds a smart Berkley girl and forgets about me. What if I get drunk too much and he realizes I'm a basket case and not worth it?" Marissa rambled and her best friend in the entire world hugged her tight and didn't let go.

"He will always love you, remember. It's not your fault, any of it and you will be at Berkley with him, remember?"

Sniffling, Marissa consented, "Okay, yeah, I'm just crazy."

"You're not crazy, just in love sweetheart. Oh and a little drunk. Now let's take you home."

Then Seth came over; together they pulled Marissa on her feet and walked back to the car.

"Sorry for ruining your date." Marissa told them.

"Not ruined at all my darling just made it memorable." Seth said as he leaned over and kissed Summer.

* * *

><p>The next morning everyone was at Ryan's bedside. They brought a large breakfast, bagels and cream cheese, cereal and coffee, and hung out for hours. Ryan was feeling a lot better, he had his bed propped up and was actively participating in the conversation, or as actively as he ever would be. Marissa was always by his side, holding his hand.<p>

Around noon people cleared out, leaving Summer, Seth and Marissa behind. They talked about school, movies and friends from high school. They had some gross hospital food for lunch, but it was fun to make fun of anyway.

Around 1 an unexpected guest arrived. Taylor Townsend walked into the room. It was awkward for a moment and then Summer spoke up. "Hey Taylor, how are you? I thought you were going to Paris?"

"Oh, well I am, but not until the beginning of August. I came to see Ryan, I heard about the fight. Crazy, huh? Here I have some flowers for you, they are the nicest varieties made by this wonderful Korean woman that lives near…"

"They look great Taylor." Ryan chuckled.

"Oh good, because I didn't know if you were the kind of guy who would be repulsed by having flowers in your room." Taylor went on, talking a mile a minute.

"No really, they are nice." Ryan reassured her.

Uncomfortably, Marissa interjected. "So what are you planning for the beginning of the summer, is your mother doing any events?"

"Oh yes. It's awful. I have to hang around her listening to her boss people around as she pretends that she cares about the causes that we raise money for. Oh, and speaking of which, I have to go help her right now, well, I'll see you guys soon? We need to hang out. Call me Summer?" She kept talking.

"Okay, good luck with your mom." Summer said, amused.

"Whew. She ceases to amaze me." Seth said when she left.

Marissa and Summer then went home to get ready for a day of shopping and tanning.

"Finally some Seth-Ryan time, seems like it's been forever man!" Seth remarked.

"Well, I don't have any girl troubles that I know of, you?" Ryan asked.

"I don't have any, but you might not be seeing the outside scoop on your relationship," Seth said vaguely.

"And that is?" Ryan asked, annoyed.

"Well, Summer and I were walking on the beach last night and we found your girlfriend at the lifeguard stand, crying." Seth pointed out, obviously excited to share his information.

"Why?" Ryan wondered aloud.

"I don't know. Did you do something?" Seth assumed.

"Besides almost get killed by her ex-boyfriend, no, not that I know of." Ryan pondered.

"Well, I guess all you can do is just tell her how you feel, girls always like that." Seth pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess, crying though? I really don't get women." Ryan surrendered.

"Me neither." Seth agreed. "So, I think I have better bring you some more comic books buddy, you're getting low."

"I think I'm good, but there is a TV in here." Ryan implied.

"Right, I'll bring movies next time. Don't let the girls know or else you'll be watching The Valley all day. Hey, when are you getting out of here anyway?"

"Seth, I've only been here a day. Anyway, I don't know. They haven't decided yet."

"Well, your face is looking a little better anyway. You'll be pretty bruised for a while though."

"Yeah well, beggars can't be choosers. At least I'm living right?"

"Yup. Hey, we can spend the summer lounging around in the pool so you can heal."

"I don't think I'll be able to go in the pool for a while. I still have stitches in for a couple weeks after I'm home."

"Well you can watch your girlfriend hang out in the pool." Seth consoled, jokingly. "Hey, I want to see those stitches."

"Not unless you see the doctor taking the massive layers of bandages off because I am not doing it. Okay, enough talking, lets read some comic books."

Seth tossed Ryan a comic book and they fell into a comfortable silence. Soon Ryan was asleep, so Seth wrote a note and slipped out of the room quietly.

* * *

><p>Around 8 o'clock Marissa came by with a cheeseburger and chili fries and a bunch of games to play. They had a wonderful meal together. Afterwards they watched a movie that she had rented, wanting him to be happy, it was an action movie with hardly any plot. It didn't really matter to either of them though, because they were either looking at each other, snacking on chili fries or kissing. After the movie Marissa pulled out a surprise.<p>

"Shoots and Ladders?" Ryan looked at her funny.

"Come on, it's a great game. I used to play it when I was little with my dad, then with my sister when she was old enough, but against her I'd cheat."

"Never heard of it." Ryan said.

"What games did you play as a kid?"

"Besides 'Who can hide from Mom and boyfriend longest?' We played hot wheels when Mom was drunk or high in the front room. When I was a little older Trey and Mom taught me how to play poker and 21 and to gamble." Ryan responded. An awkward silence followed.

"Are you mad at me?" Marissa asked.

"What?" Ryan asked, confused. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I'm the reason your brother's gone, the reason Volchok almost killed you, basically the reason you are in this hospital." Marissa half muttered.

"Marissa, come here." Ryan said, even though she was sitting only a few feet down the bed. "You are beautiful,"

"That doesn't answe…" she started.

"Shhh. As I was saying, you are beautiful." He kissed her shoulder, "caring," he kissed her neck, "gorgeous," he kissed her cheek.

"That's just another beautiful, you know." Marissa whispered.

"I love you," He kissed her lips. "And none of this is your fault, you're just stuck in the middle of my messed up life." He kissed her again. "And, I have my family here. It's the Cohens, Summer and you. So, no, I am not mad at you at all, you are amazing." He kissed her again. "Now can we play Shoots and ladders?"

"Only if you promise to teach me how to really play poker, the Atwood way." She teased.

"Deal, now let's play."

They then played a round of Shoots and ladders, which ended with Ryan loosing badly. To make it up to him Marissa and Ryan had a long make-out session, which ended with Marissa lying next to him on the bed.

"Now it's poker time." Marissa said and threw a deck of cards over herself to Ryan. When he finished shuffling he looked over to find her fast asleep. He tried to cover her with some blanket to no avail. Luckily a nurse came in soon after, saw the two on the bed and brought a blanket and cleared off the games.

"Its okay honey," She whispered to the worried looking Ryan. "I'll explain to parents if they don't believe you." She consoled.

"Thank you" Ryan practically mouthed.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, I am really bad at making the chapters long, so you just have to deal with it I guess, but I'll try. Sorry it's taken me so long for this tiny chapter. Thank you so much for the comments snoopygal16. I would love to hear from other people, because it seems like there are others out there, but what do they think? I would love to hear. And I know everyone wants comments but really just like one or two words, (good, bad, keep going, stop) you know along those lines. **

* * *

><p>Around 8 o'clock Marissa woke up. At first all she realized was she was sleeping next to Ryan. Her arms were around him, so she peeked over and saw that he was still sleeping. She decided to lie back down. After a little while she decided that really she better go, so she lightly tried to move her arm from over him. He stirred awake.<p>

"Morning" Ryan mumbled.

"Good morning," Marissa said. She kissed his cheek and sat all the way up. "I am going to be in so much trouble. Ugh."

"Call Summer, make an excuse." Ryan suggested.

"I can't really say that I spent the night at Summer's, can I?" Marissa pointed out.

"Oh, right, the only problem with sharing a house with your best friend." Ryan said.

"Yeah, hey, we both do that now huh? Between two couples we have two houses. That's odd." Marissa said.

"Can't happen that often that best friends go out with best friends that both happen to live together, for one reason or another."

"Hey, so theoretically if both you and I and Seth and Summer got married then you would be my half-brother in law as well as my husband and I would be your sister in law. And Seth would be Summer's half brother-in-law and Summer would be Seth's sister-in-law." Marissa said, not making much sense in the long run.

"I'm confused. So what are you up to today?" Ryan changed the subject.

"Well, so far I haven't gotten any tanning in this summer, but I would rather spend the day with you." Marissa said.

"No, I'm not worth it, go tanning with Summer. I'll spend some 'quality time' with Seth."

"Okay, I guess I'll let Seth take care of you, but I expect hourly reports." She teased.

"What, so you know every piece of food I eat? It's not like I'm diabetic." Ryan said.

"Oh, well, then how about you call me this evening. And maybe if you were a good boy I'll drop by." She teased.

"Hmmmm, you are making this day sound like it has a happy ending." And they started kissing. After both of them ran out of breath Ryan brought up a different subject. "So, do you still go to that Psychiatrist?"

"Umm, no. Why? Do you think I need to?" Marissa said, looking very taken aback. "It's been ages since that."

"No no, not for you. I was thinking; you know like, umm, never mind."

"Ryan. Talk." Marissa said, kindly but with authority.

"I don't know, maybe it's stupid. But, I kind of feel like maybe I have too many issues to deal with on my own, and I know that you are here for me to talk to, but those people have like ways to make you talk, and otherwise, I don't think I would on my own."

"You've thought about this a lot huh?"

"Well yeah, kind of. But it's nothing against you, Marissa. I will always talk to you first about issues, but you know the past already, maybe I need someone that didn't live through it with me to give me, as Seth said the 'outside scoop'."

"I'm not offended Ryan, I'm proud of you. It took a lot of people to tell me I needed help, and that was after I took a bottle of pills. You are a lot more mature than I am." She looked at him in awe.

Ryan blushed a little and said, "Thanks, I guess. But how much does the therapist cost? I don't want to go to it if it costs the Cohens tons of money."

"Ryan," Marissa said, caressing his face, "the Cohens would do anything for you, and they know it will help you, so don't worry about it, okay? It'll all be okay. Now I have to go- before somebody comes in here and kicks your ass again. This time it would be my mom though."

Ryan laughed and said, "The nurse last night said if you needed that she would explain to parents."

"Well, I'll try on my own first, but good to know. Now I really have to go." She said as Ryan pulled her closer and kissed her neck.

"Really, cause I was thinking."

"No, you weren't. I love you and I'll see you later." Marissa kissed him and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Seth and Summer were hanging out in Summer's room, looking through Brown Catalogs.<p>

"Do you think I'll change a lot when I go to college? I mean, what if I stop liking the things I like, what if I realize that this whole perfect life and mansions aren't for me anymore?" Summer asked Seth.

"That'll be good, because you will be living in a dorm and won't have a ton of money because you are going to be a college girl, my college girl." Seth said, hugging her close.

"Speaking of which, I get my roommate assigned to me all the way in August, doesn't that suck? Like everyone else gets theirs in the middle of July. Oh My God, what if I get some girl that like never showers and doesn't clean her room?"

"Or you could get some girl that like is a total slut and sleeps around all the time and you never see her, that would probably be good, now that I think about it." Seth said, being fairly ridiculous.

"Well, then you would have to stay far away from her." Summer said.

"No problems with that, as long as she just never goes into your room and I can hang out with you." Seth said.

"Seth, you think that Ryan and Marissa are going to go to Berkley after this whole being stabbed thing?" Summer asked.

"You know, I'm not sure, forgot to ask Ryan."

"Well, if they aren't, would it be so ridiculous of me to not want to go to college until you come?" Summer asked, shyly.

"Summer, college is more important than waiting for me. You need to go and get situated there, I will come along sooner than you realize." Seth said.

"I guess; I just like being around you guys, I mean, what will life be like without my three best friends? I haven't made new friends besides you and Ryan in a long time, and you guys were only because Marissa liked Ryan, and I fell in love with you, and that isn't going to be how I meet people in college. And what if they think I'm too stupid, I mean I don't really know anything compared to these people. They are like super smart, 1600 Sat's and everything. They are going to look at me and my expensive clothes and be like the same as when Marissa went to public school, whispering and pointing at the Stupid Bimbo in the designer pumps." Summer went off. All Seth could do then is hold her and lean his head on her shoulders.

Inside Seth had his own worries, _What if she gets situated, like planned and then realizes that she doesn't want her artsy boyfriend from back home who is obsessed with comic books? What if she changes so much from college that she doesn't think he is interesting or funny anymore? What if she realizes that he isn't actually that smart, and that all these other Brown kids are way cooler than him?_ But instead of voicing his doubts, he sat and listened to Summers, and when she was reaching the end he said, "Summer. You need to know right now, that not everyone in Brown is insanely smart. And you will be smarter than some people, you are brilliant, okay? And Brown isn't a public school, most kids there paid, so you will not be the only one in designer outfits, and change is good, you will gain new friends, and remember the old, okay?"

"God, I love you Seth." Summer said and turned to him and kissed him.

"God, I love you Summer." Seth mimicked her.

* * *

><p>The next day Ryan was let out of the hospital, but he had to make sure that he was on near constant bed rest. So the beginning of the real summer started with all four of them hanging out in the pool house and around the pool, with all the pool house doors open and music playing all the time. Ryan was getting better, and for the first time in a really long time he was perfectly happy. His relationship was healthy and fun, unlike almost every other time he had been with Marissa. Seth seemed a little on edge sometimes, but they had time to talk about it and he didn't seem quite ready. Summer was purely happy, enjoying the summer, as only a girl named after the season could. Every day was fun, unique, which was surprising, seeing as they couldn't really go anywhere. But they found things to do.<p>

One morning Seth and Summer were out searching for some new food and games to play around the pool and Marissa and Ryan were hanging out in the pool house.

"So, what's the deal with college, are you going to be healthy enough to go, or should we wait a semester?" Marissa asked out of the blue.

"I think I can manage, maybe I'll start out soft, like no joining crew or drinking all night long, but I can be there and make sure you can get home." Ryan said, lightening the mood.

"No, I have a roommate for that kind of thing." Marissa said, "Speaking of roommates, we should be getting ours in a week or two, huh?"

"Yeah." Ryan said thoughtfully.

"It won't be bad, Ryan. Come on, talk to me." Marissa said, reading into his silence.

"Nothing, just, I won't be here. No more pool house, no more parents. This is like my home, and now I have to get up and move again. I'll be homeless." Ryan said, "Sorry that sounds stupid. Of course I have a place to live."

"Ryan that's not stupid. You know what they say, 'Home is where the heart is.' I think that this will be your home for a while now." Marissa said.

"Then where is your home, because I'm pretty sure your heart isn't in that house of yours."

"Oh, you and Summer and Seth are my home. So soon my home will be Berkley, and here. They are going to be where the people I love are, and the places that the people I love love."

"You are amazing." Ryan said simply.

"Thank you" Marissa replied.


End file.
